Not Now, Not Ever
by desertredwolf
Summary: Whether it's Bellatrix threatening to kill Ginny or nasty gossip spreading around the wizarding world, Molly Weasley will do anything to protect her daughter. A story in which Molly plays pranks, but with her own twist, and promises to knit a Christmas sweater for Ginny's new boyfriend. /QL, S6R9, Puddles


**Disclaimer: As the supreme ruler of the multiverse, I am incredibly disappointed that I somehow don't have the rights to Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners, I guess.**

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 **Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition / Season Six, Round Nine**

 **Team:** Puddlemere United

 **Position:** Captain

 **Prompt:** Molly Weasley

 **Word Count (not including title and author's notes):** 1647 (Google Docs)

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 **Not Now, Not Ever**

She heard the whispers and saw the not-so-subtle glares. Even though she knew it was an exaggeration, they seemed to follow her through Diagon Alley. They wouldn't stop.

"— _did you hear—?"_

"— _that poor family has been through enough—"_

"— _the youngest—"_

"— _only girl—"_

"— _such a shame—"_

Molly Weasley picked her head up and straightened her spine. Let them talk. She had, never _once_ , cared about popular opinion. Their thoughts and careless words had no effect on her affection towards her daughter. While it was a shock when Harry and Ginny broke up last year, Molly found that she was pleasantly surprised when her youngest brought home her boyfriend a month ago.

Theo Nott had been quite adamant that they call him 'Theo.' When Arthur had called him Mr. Nott, the young man had grown visibly upset.

"Sir," he had said, "that name belongs to my father, and I am not him—nor have I ever been him. I am having...problems changing my name at the Ministry due to my father's affiliation in the war. Until I can take my mother's maiden name, it's Theo, sir. Just Theo."

He was such a sweet and well-spoken young man. Theo doted on her daughter, but never once treated Ginny like she was incompetent. And he challenged her and made her happy in ways Harry never was able to—nothing against Harry, of course.

Molly could tell that Theo and Ginny just clicked in ways that Harry and Ginny never had.

The boys had taken a while to get used to their sister's new boyfriend, though. Even after the war, they were still divided by old House loyalties. Molly had caught George, Ron, and Charlie plotting some rather humiliating pranks on Theo on more than one occasion, and quickly put a stop to them. Arthur was even a little uncertain of the young man. Even Molly hadn't been sure when Theo had first stepped out of the Floo behind Ginny.

But then the strangest thing had happened.

Molly heard Fred whisper in her ear.

Oh, of course, Fred wasn't really there, not even as a ghost. Molly knew that. But sometimes, she thought she could feel his presence or hear his laughter. They were little things that made the pain lessen. This was different, though. Molly had heard her dead son whisper in her ear.

" _Play a prank for me, Mum."_

So Molly had immediately walked up to the anxious former Slytherin and gave him a big hug. It wasn't the most creative thing she could do, but it was the best she thought of on the spot. She acted like it had only been a week since he and Ginny had been at the Burrow, and asked him what he would like for dinner. Did he want his usual?—that sort of thing.

Needless to say, everyone had been shocked by her behavior. They had expected her to act suspicious, or maybe make a comment about Harry. As she had turned into the kitchen, she felt laughter bubbling in her chest—the first time since the end of the war.

" _Thank you, Freddie."_

Here she was, though, one month later and the gossip had begun. It was irritating. No one—not even her, to Molly's chagrin—had any say in Ginny's relationship in whatever form it took. Sighing, Molly stepped into the nearest shop, hoping to get away from the whispering.

The clerk, a young wizard in his thirties, stood behind the desk.

"How can I help you?"

Molly raised an unimpressed eyebrow. The man's tone was bored and bordered on disrespectful. She looked around and recognized that she was in the apothecary. Well, while she was here avoiding the busybodies, she might as well pick up some supplies.

"Is it possible to have some things owl-delivered? I still have some shopping to do," she asked while trying to remain polite.

"Name and destination of delivery?"

"Molly Weasley and the Bur—"

"Oh," the wizard exclaimed softly, looking up with sudden interest. "Is Ginny Weasley your daughter?"

Molly frowned. She didn't like the direction this conversation seemed to be going, and it was entirely inappropriate for this grown wizard to be asking about her eighteen-year-old daughter.

"Yes," she replied stiffly. "As I was saying, I would like to have these delivered to—"

"It's a shame," the wizard interrupted again. "Really is. Your daughter had so much potential when she was dating Potter."

The Weasley matriarch bristled. _Excuse me? Ginny has potential with or without any man!_

"I really don't think—"

"Do you think she might be Imperiused?" the man said conspiratorially. "After all, the Nott family did get into some shady stuff during the last war. Why I beat—"

And then Molly Weasley officially lost her cool.

"I'm sorry," she interrupted. Her tone was icy, and the man took a surprised step backward. "Did the middle of my sentence interrupt the beginning of yours?"

The man gaped at her like a fish out of water.

"Oh, now you have nothing to say," she said scathingly. "Before you had been so eager to share your opinions, which are—like so many others, mind you—unasked for and unwanted."

"Now, ma'am… I didn't mean anything by it," the wizard replied placatingly. Molly wanted to hear none of it. What she wanted, more than anything, was to clean his mouth out with soap—but that would do nothing. It wouldn't change anything, either. Other people would still talk.

Then, out of the blue, she heard Fred's voice again.

" _Give him hell, Mum. But be creative."_

An idea popped into her mind—something from years ago—and Molly Weasley grinned savagely.

.oOo.

"Mrs. Weasley?"

Molly looked up and saw Theo standing in the kitchen doorway. It was later that night; she had returned from Diagon Alley hours ago. Ginny had invited Theo to dinner at the Burrow again which Molly thought was silly. Like, Hermione and Harry, Theo had a standing invitation to the Weasley home.

"Yes, Theo? Did you enjoy dinner?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

She waved her wand, and the dishes started cleaning themselves in the sink. A second flick of the wand pushed the chairs neatly against the dining table. As the kitchen magically righted itself around her, she turned toward Theo.

"What can I do for you, dear?"

"I heard about what happened in Diagon this afternoon."

Molly smiled. Everyone had heard. _Minerva_ had heard, and she hadn't been near Diagon in weeks.

"Aren't Slytherins supposed to be more cunning?" she asked almost teasingly. Theo gave her a rare grin.

"Why? It's the worst-kept secret in the wizarding world at the moment," Theo replied. "Right after Daphne and Lovegood dating, obviously. Why beat around the bush when I already have the information I want?"

"And…?" she prompted.

"Thank you for doing what I couldn't."

Molly froze, her heart clenched. She wasn't sure what to say next but found she didn't have to.

"It's just that I couldn't do anything," Theo said becoming agitated. His lowered his head, his dark hair hanging in front of his face in some mental effort to hide his emotions. "I can't even get my name changed calmly and legally with the Ministry. They're waiting for me to take one tiny step out of line, and I couldn't do that to Ginny…"

She smiled and told herself not to cry. Theo really was a good man. And if Molly could tangibly express her approval of Ginny's choice in boyfriends, the Weasley matriarch would say that Theo was going to get a lovely Christmas sweater this year.

Molly stepped forward and silently pulled him into a hug. It took a moment, but Theo soon returned the hug.

"We're family, dear," she said firmly. "Weasleys stick together."

"Yes, ma'am," mumbled Theo. He let go and took a step back. "Last I heard, some of the other shop clerks were trying to get him to St. Mungo's, but they were having trouble. Will you tell me what spells you used? I heard it was pretty fancy wandwork, although no one could quite explain the effects to me."

Molly grinned.

"You'll have to thank Fred and George for that one," she replied softly. Theo froze. No one had really mentioned Fred's name since after the war ended.

"Oh?" he said.

"I once confiscated some parchment from their room that had ridiculous spells they were creating," she explained, smiling fondly at the memory. "Who'd have thought that making someone bleat like a goat and then faint was such an amusing spell idea. I tweaked it a bit, of course. The way they had it, the person also turned purple for some reason. Bless them, they were only in their second year at the time. But I changed it so that any time that horrible clerk wanted to gossip about you and Ginny, or was around someone who was, he would bleat and faint. It might curb the appeal of gossiping about young witches and wizards...and it gave the other people something more interesting to discuss."

Theo stood gobsmacked in the middle of the kitchen.

"How long will it last?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm sure the Healers will fix him up in a jiffy," Molly replied airily. "As soon as the poor other shopkeepers figure out how to get him to St. Mungo's, of course. There's one little side-effect that I just _couldn't_ get rid of—a goat's heightened anxiety. They don't like tight spaces or new things—it scares them. I can't imagine what Apparating or using the Floo would be like."

Theo was once again stunned into silence.

"That's very creative," he finally managed. "I can't forget that you were the person who finally took down Bellatrix. You're very intimidating." She patted his cheek.

"Thank you, dear." Molly hummed and continued to move around the kitchen. "I do try. Now, would you like some pie to take home with you? It's pumpkin."


End file.
